


Hey, Hey, Calm Down. They Can’t Hurt You Anymore

by muscatmusic18



Series: June Prompt Challenge [10]
Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: F/M, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-05-23 04:54:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14927516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/muscatmusic18/pseuds/muscatmusic18
Summary: Daniel’s there when Peggy’s exposed to a gas that gives her extreme panic attacks.





	Hey, Hey, Calm Down. They Can’t Hurt You Anymore

Howard had asked Peggy to come to his lab in the afternoon, apparently do discuss some new “toy” he was working on, as he called it. So about three in the afternoon, Jarvis lead her down to the basement, giving her a quick nod before almost scampering back up the stairs. Smart man, considering the horror that could be behind the door.

She quickly knocked, swinging the door open to find Howard already grinning at her in greeting. Or, at least she thought he was smiling, considering how the gas mask covered most of his features.

“Hey Peg! What’s up?” His voice was muffled by the mask, but no less jovial.

“I’m fine Howard, thank you.” She walked over to him, looking down at what he was working on. “May I ask, why the mask?”

He waved a dismissing hand. “I got a canister of gas that’s been proven to be a little temperamental. Nothing to worry about, but I figured safety—“ he paused suddenly, studying a pressure gage on the canister. He looked up at her, all signs of that laid back man gone. “Peg, run—“

That’s all he got out before there was a loud pop and the gas overtook her.

~~~~~~~~~

She woke up on one of Howard’s couches, and even before she opened her eyes, Peggy knew something was wrong. The hair stood up on the back of her neck and something nagged at her gut, like she’d forgotten something big. She blinked into awareness and saw Howard sitting by her side, the mask gone but his face grim. Her groan roused him from his thoughts as he straightened in his chair, reaching for a glass of water.

“Peg, you’re awake! How do you feel?”

She swallowed, her throat surprisingly not sore. She chose to ignore the caution that was coursing through her veins, increasing with every heartbeat. “A bit of a headache, but I’ve had worse. What was in that gas, Howard?”

The man at least had the decency to look ashamed. “Well, it was something I created to try and calm people down, especially in extreme terror like during flashbacks. In small doses it works, but in large doses, it… does the opposite.”

Peggy’s headache became worse as the man spoke, and her heart rate picked up. “You mean to tell me that the gas I just inhaled in large quantities causes terror?”

He somehow made himself look even smaller in his chair. “Extreme panic and terror. And considering that you’re a war veteran, it’ll probably affect you more than most.”

She forced herself to take in a large breath, refusing to let her throat close up in both anger and the fear rising. “How long will it last?”

“Well that depends on how fast your system metabolizes it—“

“How long, Howard?” Her collar was suddenly too tight on her throat. 

“Twelve hours at the best, a couple of days at the worse.”

She gripped the couch cushion, the predicted terror taking ahold of her mind like the talons on an eagle. “A two day long panic attack?”

Howard’s silence gave her the answer. “Call Daniel. I want to be home to ride this out.”

Howard thankfully didn’t argue as he bolted to the phone, but as a long forgotten war memory was drug up and played before her eyes, she found herself wishing that she wasn’t alone.

~~~~~~~~~

Daniel got to Howard’s mansion in record time, carefully leading Peggy out to the car as he watched her eyes glaze over with fear. She didn’t seem to notice her surroundings as he drove home, just trapped in whatever hell she was reliving, so he took it as a relief as he settled her into their bedroom before slipping out to make a few arrangements.

He was on the phone with Jack, explaining the situation when he heard her scream. He didn’t bother to hang up, only dropping the receiver as he bolted towards the bedroom.

She was alone as he expected, but she twisted in the sheets, fighting off some imaginary enemy. Whether she was awake and in a flashback or asleep, he didn’t know, but he carefully avoid her fists as he tried to shake her back into reality. She was writhing too much for him to get a grip, so he pinned her, narrowly avoiding a punch to the jaw before he had her secure. 

“Peggy!” One hand cupped her face, squeezing a bit until her eyes focused on him — still wide and filled with panic, but at least they saw him now. 

“Hey, hey, calm down. They can’t hurt you anymore.”

Her eyes darted around the room and her breathing was still much too fast, so he lowered his chest to hers, breathing as slowly and as evenly as he could, hoping that her breath would soon match his. After a few temse minutes, it did, and it went so far as to make her eyelids droop a little. The terror was still there, but he’d take what he could get.

Daniel slowly eased himself off over her, surprised when she burrowed into his chest, eyes closed. Every muscle in her body was still as taut as a bowstring, but he just rubbed slow circles into her back, holding her with all the love in his heart. “They won’t hurt you anymore. I’m here.”


End file.
